The Afterlife, or Maybe Not
by tallgirl20
Summary: After Harry died in the Forbidden Forest, he really didn't know what to expect. It certainly wasn't meeting Death. Book 7, an alternative King's Cross meeting. One-shot


AN: I know I should be working on other stories, but I get so distracted reading that, well, things like this happen. While reading another fanfiction, I got the sudden urge to write a prologue for what would be a dramatic epic length story with romance! intrigue! time-travel! Hermione/Harry!. Mainly because I want all my stories to be time travel, not to mention H/Hr, and my mind always goes for the long fics. I have reigned myself in and just made this an alternative section of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It should be cannon compliant with maybe a few shifts in the exact wording towards the end, but you can assume that the ending of the seventh book remains unchanged from JKR's mind - which sort of makes me shudder because I absolutely loath Hermione/Ron. Harry/ Ginny makes me cringe, but well, I can kind of (but not really) see it; for the sake of cannon and because this will only be a one shot, I'm conceding. Don't worry though. This is more a gen fic with a minor reference to the above mentioned pairings *brief shudder*

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Well, I don't own Harry Potter because if I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction to fix all the little problems! Like - *cough* Ahem, thank you for not suing me.

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Harry blinked looking around in confusion. He had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there, but it seemed like he was missing something important. Squinting around the brightness of the space he was currently standing in, he could almost imagine it as Kings Cross station – if the station had been scrubbed by a thousand house elves in a cleaning frenzy. Still, he couldn't for the life of him figure out why he was in a sterile train station.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a wisp of dark smoke coalescing into something vaguely human shaped. He spun around to face the only thing that wasn't white. Out of the darkness emerged a man. He looked relatively young, in his mid-twenties and was wearing pressed black pants, a silk black formal long sleeve shirt with black tie. Oddly enough, he wasn't wearing shoes. His features were attractive enough with short cropped hair and eyes so dark they were probably black.

The man was leaning against one of the pillars with hands tucked into his front pockets. His dark eyes watching Harry, his lips twisted up into an amused smirk. Harry had no idea who this guy was, but instinctively Harry realized the man was dangerous.

"Hello, Harry Potter." The man's pleasant voice greeted.

"Er," caught off guard, Harry stammered before returning the greeting with an awkward, "Hi."

"Do you know why you are here?"

Harry scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Not really, no."

The man's lips twitched upwards a little more. "You, my dear friend, died."

Harry blinked at the completely unexpected answer before memories flashed through his mind. Suddenly, he remembered the Forbidden Forest, the overwhelming feeling of his loved ones' presence as he went to face Voldermort. Green light flashed before his eyes as Harry blinked and returned to the present. He took in a shaky breath before nodding. "I remember now. Voldermort finally got me with his killing curse."

Oddly enough, the man before him hissed at Voldermort's name his eyes flashing with something very close to loathing. "Yes," his nearly hissed, "Tom Riddle."

As interesting and odd as this conversation was, Harry was still at a loss as to what was going on. "Yeah, well, not to be rude or anything, but is this the afterlife." He paused for a second before adding, "I was kind of expecting something different." His voice filled with disappointment. He had wished he could see his family for real this time. Off in the distance, he thought he heard a train's whistle.

The man sighed, "I must admit, I interfered a little with your journey to the Great Beyond." Harry's eyebrows pulled together in confusion, but before he could question, the man continued. "I have many names, but I prefer the title Grim Reaper. It has a nice ring to it." The man paused to assess Harry. "Though perhaps, with your most resent adventures, you would know me better as Death."

Harry sucked in a breath. The man grinned in response. "Not exactly what you were expecting? No, I suppose not, but I have become rather attached to you so no dementor-ish robes for our meeting."

The young boy hero was having quite a hard time accepting that this person was Death that he almost missed the fact that apparently Death _liked _him.

"You see, you brought me something I very much desired. I desired it so much that I am willing to forgive your escape from me as a little child. You brought me the last pieces of that trash Tom Riddle's soul. The pathetic coward who dared deliberately try to keep his soul from my grasp." The air around the two seemed heavy. Harry found it difficult to breath. It took death a moment to rein in his contempt, and Harry could _breathe _again. Death's smirk returned. "As you can tell, I do not like being denied. You, Harry Potter, would eventually die. I can be patent, you see. But, Tom Riddle, well he was an entirely different matter."

"Uh, right." A flummoxed Harry nodded slowly before something caught his attention, "wait wasn't Vol- I mean- Tom's snake one of his ho-" Harry very wisely didn't continue that sentence as it seemed both words seemed to ignite the heavy feeling of Death's displeasure. Harry really didn't want to see Death truly angry.

Death calmed himself before continuing. "No, the idiot may think that, but such a creature could not contain the sliver which was torn off after a flesh body encased his main soul again. I caught that feeble scrap quite quickly. The snake merely absorbed parts of Tom's magicks, nothing more."

"Well, that's good, but what about Vold- Tom's body?" Harry questioned his curiosity outstripping his desire to keep death happy.

"Ah, now we get to the point of my meddling. I have deal for you, son of the third Peverell. I will return your soul to the living world if you bring me the last remaining piece of Tom Riddle's soul. You have 5 years to do so. If you are unsuccessful, I will come for you in retribution."

"You mean I could return to my body, that I'd be alive again?" Harry exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise and excitement.

Death smiled. "As I said, I rather like you, Harry Potter, like your ancestor you came to me willingly. You have done me a great favor in ending the pieces of Tom Riddle's soul, and I feel I will lose nothing in this bargain. You will just return later rather than sooner. How long you remain in the living realm depends entirely on you."

Still more than a little overwhelmed by the possibilities open to him, Harry look a little time to absorb what he had just heard. He would get to go back. An image of Ginny floated through his mind, and his heart ached. But to see her again, to have a real family with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasley'swas almost too incredible to believe. Suddenly, he remembered all of the people who had been lost. "What about-"

Death held up a hand palm facing him. "Do not ask from me than I am willing to give. Those who have come to me as a result of your war will not be returned. My deal is for you and you alone."

Harry nodded dejectedly, but silently agreed. He hadn't really expected that to work. Still, most of Harry's mind was focused on the chance he had been handed. He could go back. He could finish what he started. He could do it. He knew he could. Decided, Harry nodded sharply before turning determined eyes towards Death.

"I'll do it. I agree."

Death's smile seemed rather sharp. "Excellent." His voice sounded low and pleased.

Harry tried to grin, but, well, Death could be rather intimidating when he felt like it. "Uh, well, I guess if I don't kill him I'll see you in five years?" Still feeling awkward, his voice wobbled a little.

Death chuckled and stood. As he approached Harry, the boy realized Death was _tall. _Harry barely came up to his shoulder. One long elegant finger reached to touch Harry's lightning bolt scar. "Remember you promise, Harry Potter."

The finger gave a push against his head, and quite abruptly he was not where he was before.

"He's dead, my lord." A voice trembled near Harry's head. A loud cheer rose up from Voldermort's ranks.

Harry Potter breathed again.

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Done! I think I wrote this in little over an hour, so there isn't a lot of proof reading. I fixed some mistakes, but there are probably some i missed. If you find something that offends you let me know and I will try to fix it. Unless it pertains to plot itself, then well sorry.

I'm interested in what you think of my Death greets Harry scene. I really enjoyed the bizarre-ness, but, well, I'm rather bizarre myself.

Reviews are always welcome!

tg


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